Head Extreme Pro 2.0 - what strings are you using?

I strung my HE Pro 2.0 with Yonex PTP in the mains at 48 lbs and Prince Syn Gut w/ duraflex in the crosses at 50 lbs. After an hour of hitting, this combo works very well with excellent feel, adequate power and above average spin for a hybrid set-up. I now have 12 hours on this set-up and it still feels very nice and is displaying minimal string movement. I'm going to reverse that combo when the current string bed needs to go. I'll report back on how that feels. Also want to say that the HE Pro 2.0 is a terrific stick.

Click to expand...

Update - I'm up to about 16 hours with this setup and it still feels very nice, even better then when it was new, but the syn gut crosses are fraying at this point. . . . . . . . . . Per Pbarrow's suggestion, I'll put a full bed of PTP in when my current set up either breaks of loses playability.

Per Pbarrow's suggestion, I'll put a full bed of PTP in when my current set up either breaks of loses playability.

Click to expand...

Have to give credit where it is due. Big Kahuna turned me onto both string set ups for this stick, PTP 125 and the gut/poly hybrid. I like the full poly for singles and hybrid for doubles. Such killer set ups, I am just paying it forward. Enjoy!

Update - I'm up to about 16 hours with this setup and it still feels very nice, even better then when it was new, but the syn gut crosses are fraying at this point. . . . . . . . . . Per Pbarrow's suggestion, I'll put a full bed of PTP in when my current set up either breaks of loses playability.

Click to expand...

Have you tried the PTP yet? Just a quick update: I have played several more hours now with this set up and have decided this is the string for me. No arm issues and really good control and power, one at 48 and one at 50 lbs. I had bought some other packs to try like Cyclone and Focus Hex, but am enjoying the PTP so much just going to go steady for awhile and experiment with tensions.

Have you tried the PTP yet? Just a quick update: I have played several more hours now with this set up and have decided this is the string for me. No arm issues and really good control and power, one at 48 and one at 50 lbs. I had bought some other packs to try like Cyclone and Focus Hex, but am enjoying the PTP so much just going to go steady for awhile and experiment with tensions.

Click to expand...

I went to restring my Extreme Pro on Monday and realized that I didn't have any PTP, so I used a pack of Signum Pro Poly-Plasma 16L - at 49 lbs. tension.

I only had about 30 minutes to hit with it, but it feels pretty darn good with a full bed of poly. I will report back on how the SPPP feels after I hit some more with it. I ordered up some more PTP, so I will use that next time I restring.

I hit with a full bed of Head Sonic Pro 17 at 55 pounds this past weekend. That tension is too high. I remember playing with a demo at 53 # that felt really good. This is really surprising to me because my other two racquets are usually 60 pounds+.

I find that with the HEP2 I am not getting as much spin on my shots and they have a tendency to go long if i'm not paying attention to my strokes. With my Juice 100 and Speedport Black I have a lot more margin for error and the ability to hit out.

Been using the Luxilon Savage in the Juice and the Gosen Polyquest 17 in everything else.

I've got Cyclone 16G @ 54 lbs in one and HEAD Synthetic Gut PPS @ 55 lbs in the other currently. Not really liking the SynGut - I wish I'd have strung it tighter, I think that would have helped. I like the Cyclone and I liked the Sonic Pro that I previously had in the other. Full poly is very good in this racquet, IMO.

Update. I have played a bunch of matches past two weeks singles and doubles with the PTP 125 in two sticks. Played some of my best tennis ever, but unfortunately I feel a creep of golfers elbow coming on. Partly due to playing so much, but I also took one stick up to 50lbs, which I won't do again, back down to 44 and 46 tops from now on with this string. I am taking a week off and going to go to a softer string for a week or two to recover. Going to be a tough adjustment though, I have been serving like a rockstar with the full bed PTP!

It is the easiest racquet I've played with, which is one reason I bought it. It makes everything a little easier for me. The odd shape, which some do not like, does not bother me. It has a nice big sweetspot, is forgiving, is powerful, but I think it has excellent control for its power level, and generates easy spin. Feels softer than its stiffness rating would lead you to believe. I still think you should demo the racquets I suggested - Extreme Pro 2.0, BLX 6.1 95 (both versions) and the Tecnifibre 320 VO2 Max. I think you'll find what you're looking for from that lineup.

I haven't tried as many racquets as you, but I've tried a dozen or so, and it is still my favorite. The 320 VO2 Max would be my second favorite at this point.

It is the easiest racquet I've played with, which is one reason I bought it. It makes everything a little easier for me. The odd shape, which some do not like, does not bother me. It has a nice big sweetspot, is forgiving, is powerful, but I think it has excellent control for its power level, and generates easy spin. Feels softer than its stiffness rating would lead you to believe. I still think you should demo the racquets I suggested - Extreme Pro 2.0, BLX 6.1 95 (both versions) and the Tecnifibre 320 VO2 Max. I think you'll find what you're looking for from that lineup.

I haven't tried as many racquets as you, but I've tried a dozen or so, and it is still my favorite. The 320 VO2 Max would be my second favorite at this point.

I wouldn't know, since I don't play anything more than casually/recreationally. I'm guessing similar to you in the 3ish range. That's why I've offered some advice - I get the sense that we're similar levels and from what you've said in other threads/posts, you want some of the same things in a racquet that I do. Basically, I recognized some of what you've been saying in myself and my own racquet search - I just found one and settled a little quicker, although I have some extra sticks that I play around with, trade and sell to try new ones. The Extremes are still my main ones.

I am going to restring my HEP2 for the next session. I'd like to give the PTP a shot. So far i've tried BHB7, Gosen Polyquest and Head Sonic Pro in it. It's weird, I really like the backhand with this racquet, but the forehand takes some getting used to. I also feel like I have a tendency to hit a flatter ball than normal, and can overhit on certain shots? Anyone else feel that way?

I am going to restring my HEP2 for the next session. I'd like to give the PTP a shot. So far i've tried BHB7, Gosen Polyquest and Head Sonic Pro in it. It's weird, I really like the backhand with this racquet, but the forehand takes some getting used to. I also feel like I have a tendency to hit a flatter ball than normal, and can overhit on certain shots? Anyone else feel that way?

Click to expand...

How's the BHB7? I've got a set to try at some point.

I've had no problems to date with polys. I strung one with HEAD Synthetic Gut and I'm not liking it much. I have a much more difficult time dialing my shots in and controlling the ball.

I strung my VO2Max 320 w/Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex and I really like it. I wish I'd have put that in my Extreme as I like the feel better.

I wouldn't know, since I don't play anything more than casually/recreationally. I'm guessing similar to you in the 3ish range. That's why I've offered some advice - I get the sense that we're similar levels and from what you've said in other threads/posts, you want some of the same things in a racquet that I do. Basically, I recognized some of what you've been saying in myself and my own racquet search - I just found one and settled a little quicker, although I have some extra sticks that I play around with, trade and sell to try new ones. The Extremes are still my main ones.

Click to expand...

Interesting post.....like when I'm having a bad day im a 3.0, when I'm doing ok I'm a 3.5, and when I'm doing great I'm close to 4.0 but not quite. At least, that's how it feels to me lol. At the moment, I'm low 3.5 due to all this racket nonsense and just baseline bashing and not playing matches.

As far as racket choice, I think I'm gonna demo a few volkls. Loved the x10 mid but I'm smart enough to know that I'm not good enough to use a mid yet lol. A good forehand felt and sounded like a baseball bat connecting well with the ball...a winner felt like a home run

As far as string, I think I'm gonna go with PPA black and stick with it.

Interesting post.....like when I'm having a bad day im a 3.0, when I'm doing ok I'm a 3.5, and when I'm doing great I'm close to 4.0 but not quite. At least, that's how it feels to me lol. At the moment, I'm low 3.5 due to all this racket nonsense and just baseline bashing and not playing matches.

As far as racket choice, I think I'm gonna demo a few volkls. Loved the x10 mid but I'm smart enough to know that I'm not good enough to use a mid yet lol. A good forehand felt and sounded like a baseball bat connecting well with the ball...a winner felt like a home run

As far as string, I think I'm gonna go with PPA black and stick with it.

Click to expand...

Why not try the X10 instead of the mid? I have one and its a pretty nice stick. Still trying to decide if I want to keep it or trade it for something else.

I've had no problems to date with polys. I strung one with HEAD Synthetic Gut and I'm not liking it much. I have a much more difficult time dialing my shots in and controlling the ball.

I strung my VO2Max 320 w/Prince Syn Gut w/Duraflex and I really like it. I wish I'd have put that in my Extreme as I like the feel better.

Also have some Sonic Pro Edge that I'm curious to try at some point.

Click to expand...

The BHB7 is nice. The one thing I did notice is that it's very springy with the volleys, but that was in a more powerful racquet. I haven't had too much time with it in the HEP2, but i'll log some more hours and report back.

I am looking for a good poly to use as mains with Gosen as crosses. I just bought the four pack Kirshbaum spiky shark because it is on sale and it is the lowest friction poly on the TW spring research tool. Another poly I am waiting to try (again as mains in hybrid) is the Voekl cyclone given its medium stiffness and good overall rating. Can could anyone who have experience with both give some feedback on both? I care most about playability duration and tension maintenance. Second priority is comfort and arm safety.

Funny you mention the x10, because it's actually on the way for a demo along with the x7 310, x8 300, and xv1

Click to expand...

It is a nice racquet. The power level isn't as much as the Extreme or VO2Max, but it isn't too low either. It is a bit more challenging for me to play with than those other racquets. I re-strung it with HEAD Syn Gut PPS - that helped with the power and made it a little easier to play with. When I got it, it was strung w/a Poly (BB Bomber) - I may try a multi next - PPA, Multi Feel or NRG2.

In any case, good luck with the demos. Let me know how the V1 plays. I've always been curious about that one.

It is a nice racquet. The power level isn't as much as the Extreme or VO2Max, but it isn't too low either. It is a bit more challenging for me to play with than those other racquets. I re-strung it with HEAD Syn Gut PPS - that helped with the power and made it a little easier to play with. When I got it, it was strung w/a Poly (BB Bomber) - I may try a multi next - PPA, Multi Feel or NRG2.

In any case, good luck with the demos. Let me know how the V1 plays. I've always been curious about that one.

Hit with the EP 2.0 today with a new set of strings, Wilson NG in the mains and CoFocus in the crosses at 53/49. I came from Pacific Prime NG @ 60 lbs. All strings either 17 or 17L.

Right away, the trajectory was much higher due to the tension difference. After adjustment, the racquet plays much better than with full gut. It's lower powered and requires a confident stroke to do anything with the ball. Spin is better than with the gut, much fewer errors due to hitting the ball long. This is only the first hitting session, will come back with more comments later.

Interestingly enough, for the first part of that hitting session, I hit with a POG strung at 62/58 Wilson NG/CoFocus. I dare say, I like that racquet better and when I switched to the EP 2.0, it felt too light! Will probably regrip the EP 2.0 to a leather grip later on and also am exploring using lead tape around the handle as well.

I always come back to my gut / poly hybrids. You cannot beat the combination of power, comfort, feel, and spin. Durability is outstanding on this racquet with the set-up (easily 40-50 hours without any fraying at moderate tensions - I like the gut at the low-end of the recommended range and the poly in the crosses 10% lower than that). I use Pacific 17 in the Mains at 52 and always use MSV Co-Focus 18 poly in the crosses (at 48 lbs. if the mains are at 52 lbs.) It amazing!

That said, these are the highest rated polys for the crosses as per independent testing at StringForum.net for 2012:

For Winter here in LA, I have one racquet set up with a Multi in the Mains instead of Gut to avoid ruining the natural gut with the moisture from the court. I have tested nearly everything out there and I have found these multis to be the best according to Stringforum (2012):

I personally find the power, feel, and spin of the WeissCANNON 6Star Supercharged 1.30 very close to the gut. This is the "Poor Man" gut/poly hybrid. Great performance with the MSV Co-Focus 18 in the crosses for about $10. a racquet!

Click to expand...

I just tried Black Widow at 46-43 and love it. Next I am trying Yonex PTP. Are you still using it? I noticed you string the mains lower. I am relatively new and I wanted to ask you if you could please explain the benefits of 42-46 vs 46-42 tension. Thanks

I have been using the Yonex Pro Tour Poly 18 for the last 6 months now and it has been outstanding. As the colder weather comes now to SoCal I have been dropping my tension a bit to account for the colder heavier balls. To my surprise, the racquet and string feel fantastic at the lower tensions. Currently, I have the mains strung at 38 lbs and the crosses at 42 lbs. Pocketing and feel are vastly improved yet control seems to be maintained. I am very impressed.

How low has anyone string the Head Extreme Pro 2.0 with a full bed of poly? Anyone else out there finding that this stick loves poly at almost any tension?

I just tried Black Widow at 46-43 and love it. Next I am trying Yonex PTP. Are you still using it? I noticed you string the mains lower. I am relatively new and I wanted to ask you if you could please explain the benefits of 42-46 vs 46-42 tension. Thanks

Click to expand...

WITH REAGRD TO THE THEORY ON LOWER TENSION MAIN STRINGS WITH A FULL BED OF POLY

From The Guts N Glory Blog:

For as long as we have been stringing there has been an ongoing discussion revolving around the pros and cons of altering the tension between the main strings and cross strings. Many years ago we concluded it was a matter of personal preference. The players in the camp advocating a lower set tension argued that because the cross strings are shorter they should be pulled at a lower tension. Those in the opposite camp believed that pulling at higher tension reduced string movement. Both camps argued emphatically that their method produced a better feel. When it comes to a criteria like “feel” we are in objective territory and that is why we concluded it was largely a personal preference.

However, back when we drew this conclusion we were not in the era of polys and hybrids. The physical properties of these strings have not only altered the game, but have also provided a strong rationale for increasing the tension on the cross strings.

When a racquet is strung with the set tension the same in the mains and the crosses the differential between the two (as measured by a Stringmeter) is often in the 32 – 37% range. You read that correctly. The mains will measure (on average) 35% tighter than the cross strings. In the context of a full synthetic or a natural gut setup, this has not been an issue. It has been status quo. However, with full polys or poly hybrids it is less than ideal. The differential in tension with poly-based strings should ideally fall in the range of 20 – 25%…no more. When the differential in tension is brought closer together, the mains and crosses are able to work in unison with one another. When they are further apart, (greater than 25%), the mains are punished until they stabilize and come closer in line with the crosses. The result of this in the today’s world of polys is that the poly mains become overstretched and thus lose their tension and playability rapidly. One easy way to extend the optimal life of your poly setup is to allow the crosses to support the mains. This extends the useful playability by a considerable amount.

Bringing the mains and crosses closer in tension offers HUGE benefits for poly players. It allows players to string at lower reference tensions where polys will shine, it extends the useful playability of the stringbed and extends the time players can get solid performance before having to restring. The easiest way to bring the mains and crosses closer to one another so they will work in unison is to increase the tension of the cross strings by approximately 4 pounds. The simple act of altering tension in this manner will definitely lead to a noticeable increase in performance in most instances. HOWEVER, when increasing the tension on the crosses it is possible to overstretch the poly, exceeding the elastic limits of the string. This is most likely to occur on constant pull machines that overshoot tension. Because of this potential pitfall we recommend keeping the tension on the crosses the same or up to 2 pounds lower than the mains and using extended pulling time before clamping off. The extended pulling time on a constant pull machine (much more difficult to achieve this effect on a crank machine) will produce the desired outcome much more reliably than increasing the set tension. We recommend keeping each cross under tension for 20 seconds before clamping off. This may seem like it will add considerable time to the stringing process, but it really does not. While the cross is under tension go ahead and pre-weave the next cross string. After weaving the cross, release the tension and clamp off. Stringing in this manner is a bit awkward at first, but soon the stringer becomes fluid in working with this method. The on court results are definitely worth the effort!

Update. I have played a bunch of matches past two weeks singles and doubles with the PTP 125 in two sticks. Played some of my best tennis ever, but unfortunately I feel a creep of golfers elbow coming on. Partly due to playing so much, but I also took one stick up to 50lbs, which I won't do again, back down to 44 and 46 tops from now on with this string. I am taking a week off and going to go to a softer string for a week or two to recover. Going to be a tough adjustment though, I have been serving like a rockstar with the full bed PTP!

Thanks for the answer. It seems you need to also have the right type of stringer to do this - apparently they are recommending 4lbs higher but they are really recommending 2lbs lower to same tension with a 20 secs pull on the crosses (will have to see if they do that where I string)

Do you think that this works also for a poly main / multi cross hybrid (e.g. 42 for poly mains and 46 for multi crosses)? or would you make adjustments? My goal is to maximize spin.

Have you had any experience with Solinco Tour Bite 18? As I mentioned I love the TB 18 full bed (strung at 44-40) but feel it goes dead in 5hrs and do not want to play with it anymore - just wanted to check if it is "suggestion" or other people experience the same. Maybe I should try 40-44 tension and see what happens with a higher cross. Ideally I would like to get 20 hrs of play with a set-up (restring monthly)

WITH REAGRD TO THE THEORY ON LOWER TENSION MAIN STRINGS WITH A FULL BED OF POLY

Bringing the mains and crosses closer in tension offers HUGE benefits for poly players. It allows players to string at lower reference tensions where polys will shine, it extends the useful playability of the stringbed and extends the time players can get solid performance before having to restring. The easiest way to bring the mains and crosses closer to one another so they will work in unison is to increase the tension of the cross strings by approximately 4 pounds. The simple act of altering tension in this manner will definitely lead to a noticeable increase in performance in most instances. HOWEVER, when increasing the tension on the crosses it is possible to overstretch the poly, exceeding the elastic limits of the string. This is most likely to occur on constant pull machines that overshoot tension. Because of this potential pitfall we recommend keeping the tension on the crosses the same or up to 2 pounds lower than the mains and using extended pulling time before clamping off. The extended pulling time on a constant pull machine (much more difficult to achieve this effect on a crank machine) will produce the desired outcome much more reliably than increasing the set tension. We recommend keeping each cross under tension for 20 seconds before clamping off. This may seem like it will add considerable time to the stringing process, but it really does not. While the cross is under tension go ahead and pre-weave the next cross string. After weaving the cross, release the tension and clamp off. Stringing in this manner is a bit awkward at first, but soon the stringer becomes fluid in working with this method. The on court results are definitely worth the effort!

kahuna_ when i spoke to a MRT local he said the polys they do not prestretch - and the wise even after 15 seconds at 48 lbs isnt adjusting anymore.. ie repulling because of stretch in string (at least on cyclone) ..

so in my case i do 3lb more on crosses-- when i do the psycho this weekend i will try it at 45-6 to 48-9..

thats assuming the powerfibre should be done more not less than the cyclone..

kahuna_ when i spoke to a MRT local he said the polys they do not prestretch - and the wise even after 15 seconds at 48 lbs isnt adjusting anymore.. ie repulling because of stretch in string (at least on cyclone) ..

so in my case i do 3lb more on crosses-- when i do the psycho this weekend i will try it at 45-6 to 48-9..

thats assuming the powerfibre should be done more not less than the cyclone..

Click to expand...

It is quite possible that I string the mains higher because I do not know any better.

The reason I decided to do it is that I saw the pros stringing crosses lower and I also read somewhere that stringing the multi crosses at a lower tension results in the mains snapping more and for a longer period of time (which should generate more spin). The same post said that a tighter cross would be more likely to notch essentially "trapping" the poly in the notch. It all made sense at the time.

At the same time, Big Kahuna has been quite insightful and I will test his set up next week.

Thanks for the answer. It seems you need to also have the right type of stringer to do this - apparently they are recommending 4lbs higher but they are really recommending 2lbs lower to same tension with a 20 secs pull on the crosses (will have to see if they do that where I string)

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't do any of the GNG stringing "long pull" stuff when I string and the result is still the same. I would ignore that part and focus on the rationale for the difference in string tension between mains and crosses.

so if you were to string psycho and our goal is to lower tensions what would you start with?

same 42/ 46 you use now or ?

i will have to order one of the yonex strings and see how they compare-- ive tried a lot of strings but thats not one of them--
to me so far the cyclone is equal to alu power- rough- etc.. tried silverstring- 5 edge - . beast hybrid with vs gut- wilson champ choice etc. . keep coming back to cyclone -- i do need to figure out a hybrid though as the full polys do make my shoulder "tired" -- but this week ive played every day but tuesday-- time to get some work done LOL..

I am really puzzled with the Extreme Pro 2.0.
I demoed it with Cyclone 17 (I was told - at 54-56 ponds..stringbed was dead flat, no sound when hitting it).
It had good power, very good control for groundstrokes, impressive stability and directional control (easy and nice returns) - but no feel whatsoever.
After reading all those good reviews I bought the racquet and strung it with Technifibre Black Code 17 at 55 to improve feel.

Result - no control, no stability.. Power is there but cannot be used. Some feell....but overall no good at all. I was struggling against much weaker players. I was confused and asked for opinion from two other players - one 5.0, another one with some ATP points. Both confirmed my thoughts.

I am puzzled how you guys here using this racquet with tension 46... How is it possible? It is so powerful as is...and seems to be stable only when tension is high.

Looking at latest list from 2013 Australian Open, Kuznetcova is using Big Banger on this at 57 and Gasquet - at 58.

I am going to try the Cyclone again - at 57...
Any ideas? What am I doing wrong?

Guts N Glory Tennis in Atlanta - John Youngblood is one of the leading experts in stringing. According to John:

"When it comes to polys the low end of the range on the frames can be ignored. Those ranges are intended for synthetics and gut...not polys. The maximum range a poly should be strung at is 52 pounds. The Babolat machine will overshoot on tension which is probably why you lost control at the higher tension. The poly may have been overstretched and killed as a result of being tensioned too high.I highly suggest you string a Full bed of Poly 2-4 lbs HIGHER in Crosses."

"We typically use a 4 pound differential between mains and crosses when we do not use extended pulling times. (crosses +4). However, if 2 pounds difference works for you with your setup, then definitely stick with what is working for you. In terms of where to start…if you need more length, drop 2 pounds for a yard and likewise, if your ball is sailing, increase 2 pounds to bring it in."

hrstrat-- pros only use a racket for 40 minutes-- so theyre tensions dont always mean the same-- some stings are fabulous for an hour -- i tried alu power rough and it was awesome the first hit - i was hitting winners from the baseline to every corner-- and it went downhill FAST after that-- i now own a stringer but i want more than one session out of a string job..

these rackets work great with poly-- i tried weiss cannon 5 edge and it hurt my arm in 30 minutes at 52lbs.. cut it out same day--

cyclone way better--

im a pretty solid 5.0 player.. i have a lot of spin and these work great- im going to try less tension to get more power to the point i am losing control- then i know thats as low as i can go..

hrstrat-- pros only use a racket for 40 minutes-- so theyre tensions dont always mean the same-- some stings are fabulous for an hour -- i tried alu power rough and it was awesome the first hit - i was hitting winners from the baseline to every corner-- and it went downhill FAST after that-- i now own a stringer but i want more than one session out of a string job..

these rackets work great with poly-- i tried weiss cannon 5 edge and it hurt my arm in 30 minutes at 52lbs.. cut it out same day--

cyclone way better--

im a pretty solid 5.0 player.. i have a lot of spin and these work great- im going to try less tension to get more power to the point i am losing control- then i know thats as low as i can go..

Click to expand...

I've settled at 40# MSV Focus Hex 110 - amazing in 18x20 Head frames....does everything at the highest level and one frame is still playing nicely at 25 hours..... I hear Cyclone is very similar......I think your approach and plan is a good one!

Just tested Volkl Psycho at 45-41. I played well, slice was very strong as well as control. Comfort not so much (felt a bit boardy) and my elbow started hurting a bit after 90 mins. May re-test at 40-44 and see if that changes things.
The Solinco TB-Vanquish hybrid I tested on Tue felt more comfortable so I will play with that frame again on Sunday.
I the meanwhile, I think I will cut out the psycho an test the Solinco TB 19 full bed at 41-45 and see what happens.

i guess what we need to figure out is if the powerfibre cross in the psycho pack is considerably softer than cyclone.. i was planning on trying 46-50 with cyclone in the mains..

i agree with the principle that the crosses should be 3 to 4lb tighter on full poly- as this works for me currently..

and if the poly string should be less than its hybrid pairing- like kahuna stated and we are using poly in the mains then the crosses should be tighter as well--

now to your question which is softer.. the poly in the crosses i would think would be softer but then the tension in the crosses would be equal to mains?
if you were to do 44/40 and the poly is in the crosses , and we want the poly to be 10% less than the corresponding hybrid -- so even though we did 44/40 the crosses are "effectively" tighter as the poly doesnt need the same tension..